


Yours

by Yumicho



Category: Alexander (2004)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-08
Updated: 2014-10-08
Packaged: 2018-02-20 09:25:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2423606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yumicho/pseuds/Yumicho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After someone tried to poison Alexander on his birthday, the king is faced with doubts and hateful gossiping and has to try to find the truth - and the person he can really trust.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yours

**Author's Note:**

> Hey :)  
> Thank you for reading this fic, I hope you will like it!  
> I apologize for any mistakes you might find since I am not a native speaker, but I am trying my best to get rid of every mistake.  
> This work will be finished after three chapters, so I hope that you will stay until the end. :D

„Execute him.“  
Alexander's words reverberated in the silence, which came up all of a sudden and filled the hall, recoiled off the lithic walls and befell Hephaistion with so much force he couldn't handle. His gaze, which he held down to the floor mere moments ago, snapped up and he looked at his king, an expression of pure horror in his blue irides. Murmures roamed through the room, even Cassander and Kleitos, who held him in place, loosened their grips on him. His own heart skipped a beat, he couldn't feel it beating in his chest for seconds.  
This couldn't be real. It just _could not_. Alexander couldn't be serious. Hephaistion, who kneeled on the floor, both of his arms tied together behind his back, with three foreign hands on his shoulders holding him and one in his neck, pushing his head down, wasn't able to breathe anymore. Alexander, his beloved Alexander, whom he committed his life to and swore to follow him until the end of all days, wanted to execute him.

~mere hours earlier~

It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining down on Babylon and it appeared as if it only rose for the king himself, it was warm, already in the earliest morning and there wasn't a single cloud visible at the sky. Hephaistion patted Bucephalos' nostrils, whom he gave a load of fresh provender and laughed as he received a short snort as an answer.  
It was Alexander's 27th birthday and he wanted everything to be perfect. Hephaistion himself took over most of the work and planning for the feast – the only way to make sure that it wouldn't be botched. There would be a huge banquet, he even arranged the best food of which he knew Alexander loved.  
A smile played around Hephaistion's lips as he turned around with a last glance to Alexander's faithful companion and left the stables. There still was a lot of work that was waiting for him and he had to hurry in order to get ready in time, because he simply didn't want to make his king wait. Especially not on his birthday – since he planned a special surprise for him.

~present~

„Alexander, you can't do this.“ Kleitos was the first one to find his voice again. Hephaistion turned his head into his direction, the panic in his own eyes abated a bit, because by now he was sure that this whole situation could only be a joke. There wasn't another possibility. It for sure was a bad joke, which everyone planned, just to mock Hephaistion a bit so that Alexander could amuse himself. Another option didn't want to get into his head.  
„Hephaistion is your most loyal friend, more than every single one of us, you cannot –“ But he couldn't finish his sentence, Alexander's brisk voice interrupted him regardless, the rage clearly audible in it. „Don't tell me what I have to do! He betrayed me and now he will pay for it! Get him out of my eyes!“ With an abrasive movement of his hand, the king motioned to the doors and Hephaistion could see, how Cassander and Kleitos were throwing insecure glances towards the other, but in the end Kleitos swallowed hard behind him and pulled him onto his legs. After all he couldn't disobey to his king. „Alexander“, the black haired general tried another time which made the convict feel a deep affection to him for a moment, because he was the only one who truly objected to the situation. Hephaistion's look met Alexander's, in whose eyes was such a rage of which Hephaistion had no idea that he could feel something like that towards him – and that was the moment in which he realized that it was everything but a bad joke and only the bitter reality. He complied to his fate and walked in front of Kleitos, who didn't treat him rudely – just like Hephaistion expected him to – but who led him slowly, almost carefully out of the room and rubbed his thumb in a soothing motion over the young man's shoulder, but Hephaistion's eyes were glued to Alexander's face who didn't look a single second at him, not even when the door closed behind him and Kleitos.

~mere hours earlier~

Hephaistion was just putting the last cups onto the table and arranging the decoration, consisting of some plants and fruits, when the doors opened in his back and Alexander entered the hall, with a bright smile on his lips. It was contagious and made Hephaistion smile in an instant, before he turned around and walked towards his friend with open arms, just to pull him into a warm embrace as soon as they were close enough. He hid his face in the crook of the other's neck and inhalted his scent while he buried one of his hands in his blond mane, while the other caressed his strong back.  
„I wish you only the best for your birthday, Alexander.“ He could feel how the latter tightened his grip around him as if he wanted to express his gratitude like that, before they withdrew from each other again until they could look into the other's eyes again. On Alexander's face was painted a relaxed expression and it looked like he was excited for the upcoming feast and Hephaistion could only smile at that: the king loved meetings like that, without any formal duties. It was the only way for him to forget who he was and just enjoy himself, even if it was only for a night.  
„Thank you, my Hephaistion“, Alexander replied after a few moments and tenderly caressed the brunette's cheek with his fingertips, before he reached for a grape which he broke with his teeth in a savoring way. „I only wanted to check how far your are with the preparations, but apparently everything is ready so far. The last thing that is missing is me.“ He grinned widely and nodded appreciating, while his eyes scanned the hall and finally came to a halt on Hephaistion's face at who he looked with a content expression.  
„So it can start at nightfall. I can't wait for it.“ And with a last small smile the king left his friend behind who just kept looking at him with a pleased smile on his lips until the doors closed again. It was going to be a great night.

~present~

Hephaistion didn't expect everything to change so drastically. He just let everything happen to him without saying or doing anything, he didn't even defend himself when Kleitos started to tie him to a pole in one of the rooms close to the king's bedroom. He never saw this room from the inside before and now he knew why. He was lucky so far not to be in the position of being tortured, but now he would suffer an even worse fate.  
„Hephaistion, I am sorry“, he heard Kleitos' voice all of a sudden, quiet and full of honest sorrow, his dark eyes looked sad into his own. „I don't want to do this, but you know that I can't... disobey...“ Hephaistion could clearly see that the other didn't like it to apologize to him or even justify himself, but apparently the fact, that the brunette was going to die, was worse than to hurt his pride for a moment. Even though the two of them never had a very close or caring relationship, it was visible to him that the whole situation affected the normally so inapproachable Kleitos. That's why Hephaistion just looked at his counterpart and nodded with a smile on his lips. He didn't know where he was taking the strength from to do so, he really didn't know.  
„I know. He is your king, as well as he is mine. We have to obey to his wish, we both know it.“  
A shadow placed itself on Kleitos' face and Hephaistion almost expected him to snap and ask him how he could be okay with things going on like this, but before the black haired man could open his mouth, Alexander himself barged into the room. His eyes were glistening wrathfully in the wan light of the candles and he motioned Kleitos to leave the room who obeyed with a last look full of sadness on Hephaistion.  
Afterwards, there was complete silence in the room and Hephaistion waited. For his end.

~mere moments earlier~

The feast was already in full swing and everyone enjoyed him- or herself, most of all Alexander himself. A lot of time already had passed since he laughed so carelessly for the last time, that his eyes were practically shining with happiness. Hephaistion was sitting a few seats away from him on soft cushions which he himself placed here and there and observed his friend, his laugh and how he threw his head back in pure joy after Kleitos murmured something into his ear. A small stab jerked through Hephaistion's chest and he averted his gaze ashamed of himself, quickly shaking his head. He would love to know what Kleitos had to tell that Alexander, who normally wasn't that easily entertained, at least not by somebody else than Hephaistion himself, that he laughed so openly like this. But the jealousy that suddenly appeared inside of him out of nowhere still wasn't justified. After all, he was happy for his king, that he was able to celebrate such a nice birthday.  
When Hephaistion noticed out of the corner of his eyes that Alexander lifted his cup to his mouth, he got aware of his own thirst so he reached for his own wine but before anything could happen, suddenly loud voices erupted from around their table. Surprised he let his hand sink with which he was holding the cup and turned around. One of the soldiers, who Hephaistion knew by sight but couldn't remember the name of, dropped his cup and was lying on the floor now, his body curled together where his fingers were clawing into the chiton that covered his stomach. „What happened?“, he heard Alexander's voice calling through the hall after a second and before he could think any further about it, he got up from his own place just like Alexander and hurried over to the sick soldier.  
„It seems that he got poisoned“, replied Ptolemy and his eyes twitched over to the flagon with fresh wine which a servant brought in only minutes ago. Until now, the young man seemed to be the only one who drank from the wine.  
„Poisoned?“, Alexander gasped and his gaze flickered to his place where his own cup – fortunately – was standing untouched. „But... how is that possible?“  
Hephaistion's eyes widened in disbelief and shock when he realized what this meant: someone tried to kill the king. Everyone else seemed to be fine and the only flagon that was poisoned was the one that got carried to the king's table.  
„By the gods“, Hephaistion whispered and carefully touched Alexander's arm, who immediately turned around to him with a worried expression on his face.  
„Did you –“, he started but the brunette calmed him down with a quick shaking of his head. No, he didn't drink from the wine. Alexander's face relaxed almost immediately but the expression didn't last long because Cassander leaned over to the king and whispered something into his ear, which Hephaistion barely could understand, only his name was clearly audible. One second later, those men, who were sitting right next to Alexander, were staring at him with emotionless expressions on their faces, just like Alexander but on his face were painted disbelief and horror.  
„No, this is one of your phantasms, Cassander“, the king replied roughly and shook off the general's hand which was placed on his shoulder. „I don't think so“, the brunette hissed and looked from Alexander back to Hephaistion who was still sitting on his place without realizing what happened here. „After all, Hephaistion is the only one who had access to everything and who organized the feast.“ After hearing his words, Alexander pulled a grimace and shook his head before he angrily turned around to his inferior. „Say this one more time and I will –“ But he couldn't finish his sentence, Cassander interrupted him rudely and laughed tauntingly. „What, kill me? Just like Hephaistion tried with you, with all of us?“

~present~

The minutes passed painfully slow and were stretching themselves like ropy gum because they felt like hours to Hephaistion. He didn't dare to lift his eyes and kept his head low in submission, but he practically could feel Alexander's eyes on him – his skin reacted almost physically to his gaze and it felt as if it got pierced by a thousand needles. Alexander's heavy breathing didn't make it better, at all.  
„Why?“  
That single word, thrown in between them by his king himself, left the brunette man behind shuddering. This couldn't be real. Alexander truly believed that he had something to do with what happened? Did he really think so low of him, did he really think that he could even _plan_ something like that? Hephaistion would rather give his life. And that was why he was standing here now, tied up and ready to die – and he didn't defend himself, didn't fight against it.  
Because what hurt even more than the fear of getting killed was the fact that Alexander didn't trust him. All those years of their friendship, their time together... was it all a lie? Had Alexander never trusted him and had been suspicious towards him from the beginning? There wasn't any other explanation to that for him. Where else should all this distrust come from all of a sudden?  
Hephaistion swallowed and struggled with the tears but he was able to fight them back, before they could build themselves in his eyes. He was just about to open his mouth to reply something to Alexander's question, but before he could collect himself and find his voice again, he suddenly heard a familiar metallic sound, like someone was pulling out a blade.  
No.  
While he stood there petrified in every move, he even held his breath. Nothing moved, until Alexander made a step towards him.  
„I asked you why you tried to kill me!“ The king's voice echoed through the room and Hephaistion cringed as heavily as if he hit him. There wasn't a single thing that could have been worse than this question. Tormented, he closed his eyes and lowered his head even more until his neck started to hurt. The rope cut deep into his wrists and his legs threatened to give in. He was sure that his voice would be wavering if he opened his mouth now and the smallest sign of weakness would enrage Alexander even more, he knew it. That's why he didn't move at all anymore and just stood there like a pole in front of his king, who was still shaking with all the oppressed rage he had towards him right that moment.

~mere moments earlier~

Hephaistion couldn't help himself but bark out a short laugh. This was absurd. „You can't be serious, Cassander.“ He looked out of narrowed eyes to the other general who was still standing next to Alexander, his body bent over the king. The stertorously breathing of the poisoned soldier slowly died out, a healer wouldn't be able to do anything anymore and still the man was quickly dragged out by two other men, into the direction of the door. Hephaistion looked worried after them for a moment, before his eyes slid back to Cassander, who was grinning widely because of the hesitating and doubting expression on Alexander's face.  
„Of course I am serious“, he hissed back and his grip around Alexander's shoulder tightened a little bit. „After all, you are the only one who had access to the wine. And don't try to tell me that one of the servants would dare to poison the king on his own!“  
Hephaistion just shook his head on that with an almost agonizingly amused expression on his face.  
„Alexander“, he sighed and stepped towards his friend, „you don't believe him... do you?“ He hesitated and his voice dithered a bit in the end because Alexander stepped back. The brunette immediately came to a halt and let his hand sink, which he had lifted before to touch Alexander's arm in an appeasing way.  
This couldn't be true.  
„Alexander!“ Hephaistion raised his voice and looked over to the man who meant everything to him, stunned. He couldn't believe that he had to do something with that? He, who loved him more than anything and who was loyal all the time, no matter the situation?  
„Cassander is right“, Alexander murmured and in his eyes was glowing something which reached right into Hephaistion's heart: desperate rage. „You were the one who organized the wine. No one else had access to it.“  
The king looked at Hephaistion with a mixture of caution, doubt and inestimable anger, that the brunette immediately felt sick. But when he spoke his next words, he wanted to scream.  
„Arrest him.“  
Alexander turned away from him and while Cassander and Kleitos, the latter reluctant and the first with an unmistakable satisfied smile on his lips, came to him and tied his arms painfully to his back, the blue eyed man thought that his legs would give in and he would fall to the ground, right in front of Alexander. He could feel how an incredible pain started to grow inside of his body, crushing his heart at first before benumbing all his limbs. He got cold and his heart beat echoed loudly in his ears. „No“, he whispered and shook his head, trying to defend himself against the bonds, feeling how the panic took his breath away. But he didn't have the time to shake Cassander's hands off of him, because before he could even move, he heard Alexander's voice booming through the hall.  
„Execute him.“

~present~

„Why aren't you defending yourself?!“, Alexander screamed, the dagger in his hand, with the other he gripped tightly around Hephaistion's throat. Pure madness was readable in his eyes, but also a hint of desperation, lack of comprehension. There was something else as well, but Hephaistion had no name for this emotion. For a moment, he closed his eyes and tried to breath, but he failed as his breath rattled, before he opened his eyes again and looked from his cold blue right into the warm brown pools of his counterpart. Without averting his look for a single time while the other was cutting his breath off. Self assurance and calmness were painted onto his features, despite the panic that was raging deep inside of him. But he wasn't allowed to show his panic to Alexander. Simply because he was innocent and trusted Alexander's judgment. What he wanted to happen would happen. Regardless of the consequences.  
Alexander's expression changed immediately and he let go of him, pressing his hand onto his face.  
„Why are you so motionless standing there, letting me do everything to you, no matter what?!“ His voice broke and he turned around to the captive again, the dagger shining dangerously in his hand, the blade polished and ready to take a life. But Hephaistion didn't care, he came to a conclusion. He lifted his head, which he hung low before, and leaned it against the pole in his back, to which he got tied to by Kleitos and looked Alexander into the eyes without averting his own for a single moment.  
„Because you are my king“, he answered to Alexander's question, his voice firm and calm. It didn't waver a single time, not through his whole speech.  
„I swore to serve you and be loyal to you as long as I live. I even promised you my life. And if you want to take it now, then do it.“  
Hephaistion tilted his head to the side, a gesture of complete submission. „Take what belongs to you.“ That was how he was standing there, his eyes closed – and nothing was moving in utter silence. He almost expected to feel the cool blade against his throat, how it would cut deeply into his flesh, causing his blood to flow over his heated skin, which would end his life in a matter of seconds.  
But nothing like that happened.  
The seconds passed and felt like minutes. After what felt like an eternity, Hephaistion hesitatingly opened his eyes and blinked a few times, before he dared to lift his gaze to look at his king. He didn't expect the sight that was offered to his eyes.  
Alexander was standing a few meters away from him, motionless, while his eyes were practically glued to Hephaistion as he was staring at him. Horror and consternation, maybe as well as a lack of comprehension, were clearly readable in them. The dagger in his right hand was shaking uncontrollable and the fingers of his left hand were clawing at the fabric of his chiton. Subtly, he started to shake his head and his mouth opened and closed itself for a few times as he was clearly trying to say something, but apparently he was missing the words.  
Hephaistion immediately felt bad, because despite his obscure situation in which he currently was, he didn't want Alexander to behave like this, speechless, bereft his own verbal abilities. He cleared his throat and tried to speak, even though his throat hurt a bit after Alexander choked him.  
„I don't know what I did to break your trust in me so much“, he started, his voice quiet and barely audible but he knew that Alexander could hear him. Apparently he even heard the pain and disappointment in Hephaistion's voice, because his look immediately turned softer and his eyebrows furrowed in the familiar, typical way that the young man loved so much to see on him. It reminded him of _his_ Alexander, from when they were still kids and their friendship unharmed, without the pressure the king now had on his shoulders. But this Alexander didn't exist anymore, especially not for Hephaistion, he knew that now. His Alexander was gone and all that was left behind now was the cold man who wanted to kill him.  
„But you have to know“, he continued after he managed to collect himself again, „that I would never try to do something to harm you. No matter how. Alone the thought of you being gone is taking my breath away and I have the feeling that I have to die a painful death. Not only because I am nothing without you. Not only because you are my king. It is because I love you, Alexander, since I came here as a boy.“ Hephaistion closed his eyes and slowly let his body sink down the pole, as much as he could in his position without dislocating his arms, until he was kneeling on the floor and lowered his head in submission. The way Alexander drew in a sharp breath told him that the king understood what he was doing. To underline his words, he changed into the formal salutation, of which he knew that Alexander never was able to stand to hear it out of his friend's mouth without feeling how wrong it sounded because he never was just a king for Hephaistion, not for a single second. He was so much more and deep inside of him, he knew it.  
„You, my king, are everything to me. You are of a higher value than my own life and I swore to defend yours with mine, no matter what.“  
„Hephaistion“, he heard Alexander throwing in and when he lifted his head, his gaze met the warmth for which he waited so long in the foreign eyes which he knew better than his own in the end. But he didn't let Alexander speak any further.  
„That is why I beg for your forgiveness even though I know that I don't deserve it. I cannot bear the thought that I broke your trust so much. For many years, I was your most loyal general, always at your side and I wished more than anything to stay there until the end of my days. But my services weren't good enough and I accept your wish to punish me for that.“  
When Alexander came over to him, an expression on his face that Hephaistion couldn't read at all, he averted his eyes and swallowed. So this was the end now. _His_ end. But it was alright. If he was about to die, then it would happen through the hand of his best friend, of his beloved and most important person. And he could bear that.  
A few seconds later he felt the warmth that was radiating from Alexander's body, as he knelt down in front of him and apparently was looking at him. But Hephaistion didn't return his look, he just felt how Alexander's breath touched his face, how he bent over him... and cut the ropes that held his arms tightly behind his back.  
A surprised gasp left the brunette's throat as he moved his arms incredulous to his front, rubbing his hurting wrists. Before he could as much as lift his eyes, Alexander started to speak.  
„I should have known that your loyalty and love towards me are unshakable. I should have never even _thought_ about you being unfaithful to me and I hate myself for doubting you. I am sorry, Hephaistion. I am seeking for your forgiveness, you do not have to beg for it.“  
Hephaistion's eyes widened in shock when the king lifted his right hand to press a small kiss onto his knuckles, as a sign of his humbleness. But this wasn't right. Alexander was the king and he...  
„Alexander, no.“ With a soft motion, he withdrew his hand from Alexander's grip, before he stood up. His shoulders hung low as if he had the weight of the whole world on top of them and maybe it even was like this, because Alexander _was_ his world, he was everything and the betrayal of trust hurt him a lot.  
„You are the king and I am just a general among many others. You wouldn't kneel in front of another, so I am begging you not to do it in front of me, either. It is not right.“  
He met Alexander's look, in whose eyes he could see deep sadness which made him turn his face away, simply because he couldn't stand to look at him any longer.  
„Hephaistion, please...“, the blond man started, but the addressed one shook his head vehemently.  
„No. If you don't think that it's appropriate to take my life, then I am expressing my gratitude towards you. But I won't be able to serve you any longer, knowing that I disappointed you so much. Forgive me.“  
And with these words he turned around and wanted to go, but Alexander's fingers closed around his wrist and held him back.  
„I know that I let them manipulate me. I should never have believed Cassander, not even listened to him. He isn't worth it to say your name“, the king explained, still kneeling in front of him, but Hephaistion didn't want to hear any of it. He opened his heart in front of Alexander and his feelings clearly weren't reciprocated the way he would have wished – so why was Alexander still holding him back, humilating him even more?  
„Because you aren't just a general among many others, Hephaistion“, he continued and his words made the brunette stop in his efforts of breaking out of Alexander's grip.  
„You are Hephaistion, my closest friend since childhood. In you lies my whole trust, my whole faith... without you, I am nothing. You always stood by my side, whenever I threatened to lose my mind... and everytime you saved me from losing myself. You are everything to me, Hephaistion. Everything.“  
Hephaistion felt his blood drowning out of his face in one go when he realized what the king's words meant. He felt a slight pulling against his hand and when he turned around to his beloved, he still was kneeling in front of him and kissed the back of his hand.  
„My Patroclus.“  
Hephaistion couldn't stop his legs from giving in for a moment and before he realized it, he was kneeling in front of Alexander, cupping his face carefully with both of his hands, looking into his brown eyes that were looking back at him with such a tender expression that he barely could stand it.  
„Alexander, I...“, he started, but the latter just shook his head and silenced him.  
„All those years I held back and thougth about my duties as a king, but knowing that my feelings found their echo in you... I never would have expected that.“  
The brunette closed his eyes and carefully leaned his forehead against Alexander's, overwhelmed by the sudden change of events. Only mere moments earlier, he was ready to die and now Alexander, whom he loved his whole life, seemed to return his feelings – it felt like a dream, way too surreal to be real. He was convinced that Morpheus' arms were holding him in a tight embrace, but for a dream Alexander's lips felt way too real on his mouth.  
His eyes widened in disbelief and when Alexander drew back from him again, looked into his eyes and spoke his next words so tenderly that it ripped Hephaistion's heart apart, he couldn't hold back his tears anymore and felt them burning in his eyes.  
„I love you, Hephaistion.“


End file.
